The Best Business Decision I Made this Year | Business

The Best Business Decision I Made this Year | Business

Before I even start, I’ll admit that I have mixed decisions about this topic. I referenced in this blog post that I wanted to be a photographer partly so I could do all my work while taking care of however many children we had with no issues. But when the rubber met the road and I actually had to do said work while taking care of said child, things changed.

For the first year, I made it through. At the beginning, while babies wake up at night, they also sleep during the day - and Willow has always been a great nap-taker. While I was tired and stretched, I was able to find time during the day to work. It also took a long time for Willow to crawl (7-8 months) and walk (14 months), and she was generally fairly content to play with toys. I still spent plenty of time with her, but I could also work while she was awake and took full advantage of this fact.

Right around 11 months old, though, things slowly started to change…

Being a Bridesmaid, Sister, Mom, and Photographer...All at Once | Business

Being a Bridesmaid, Sister, Mom, and Photographer...All at Once | Business

A few months ago I photographed my sister's wedding. Only I didn't just photograph it - I was a bridesmaid, her sister, a mom to the cutest little flower girl ever, and the day-of coordinator for all intents and purposes. I have done this before, only without a child, when I photographed my older sister's wedding and was her maid of honor. It was a beautiful memory I'll look back on forever, and I'm honored that BOTH my sisters chose me to capture their day.

I'll be honest, though - it's also an incredibly hard set of roles to play. I felt like, at any given time, I could only do two roles well. Sometimes I could be the coordinator and photographer, but I had a hard time being the understanding sister and I couldn't put my tasks aside for a moment to be a mom to Willow. Or I could be in the moment, watching my dad and sister share their first look, and tears would fill my eyes so heavily that I could barely see through the viewfinder…

How I Make the Most of My Time | Business

How I Make the Most of My Time | Business

As I evaluate my business activities and my personal life, I have come to the conclusion that time management is both my greatest strength and weakness. It is a strength when it comes in the form of leading a disciplined schedule. I can wake up early, go all day, stay on-task, and get a LOT done during my focused work time. I have never lacked motivation when working from home, and I am a master at checking off a long to-do list.

On the flipside, though, this can be a burden to me - especially when it comes to my personal life. Reflecting on the first year of Willow's life, I know the biggest stressors were not so much her lack of sleep or all the changes she went through - they were my preconceived notions of keeping the same strict schedule and my desire to have some semblance of control…